1989 in British music
This is a summary of 1989 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
Summary
The very beginning of the year saw compilation albums excluded from the UK Albums Chart, and spun off into the new UK Compilations Chart from the week commencing 8 January 1989. Albums such as the Now series had regularly dominated the chart since 1983, with often up to 4 of the Number 1s each year being hit compilations. Now 13 was knocked off the top spot of the albums chart as a result of this new implementation.In the UK Singles Chart, eighteen singles reached number one. The first was a duet between teen idols Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, "Especially for You", which had narrowly missed out on being 1988's Christmas number one single. The two would continue their success throughout the year, with Minogue getting her third number one single; "Hand on Your Heart" in May followed by "Wouldn't Change a Thing" which peaked at No.2 in August, "Never Too Late" peaked at No.4 in October, and then her second number one album, Enjoy Yourself came in November. Donovan fared even better getting two number one singles and one album. The two enjoyed a highly publicised romance throughout the year until Minogue ended the relationship and began dating Michael Hutchence from the band INXS.
Like many artists this year, Minogue and Donovan were produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, who were at the peak of their popularity in 1989. This year saw the production team re-launch Donna Summer's ailing career, and she scored her first Top 10 hit for 10 years with "This Time I Know it's For Real" which made Number 3 and followed it up with two more Top 20 hits all from her album "Another Place and Time", written and produced entirely by the trio. Also, The Reynolds Girls and Sonia both got the Stock Aitken Waterman treatment with their top 10 singles "I'd Rather Jack" by the much derided The Reynolds Girls, which reached No.8 in March, and "You'll Never Stop Me Loving You" by Sonia which got to No.1 in July. Big Fun kick-started their short-lived pop career with a Stock Aitken Waterman produced cover of "Blame it on the Boogie" which got to No.5.
After a break the previous year, Madonna returned to Number 1 for the sixth time in March with "Like a Prayer", though the music video caused controversy. Her album, from which this was the title track, also topped the charts and became one of her most critically acclaimed worldwide. The single was followed by 3 further Top 5 hits in 1989; "Express Yourself", "Cherish" and "Dear Jessie" which peaked at No.5 over the Christmas period, becoming a big seller, selling over 250,000 copies.
May saw The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden and producers Stock Aitken Waterman reach No. 1 with a charity cover of the Gerry & The Pacemakers song "Ferry Cross the Mersey", released in aid of the Hillsborough disaster the previous month. The original reached number 8 in 1964.
Two sounds dominated the Summer and Autumn. The first came from Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers, where several old songs from the 1940s to 1960s were joined together to create a megamix, with 'Jive Bunny' featuring in the music videos. "Swing the Mood" topped the charts for five weeks from July, "That's What I Like" for three weeks in October, and "Let's Party" for one week in December. Unlike the first two, the latter sampled Christmas songs from the 1970s and 1980s. Jive Bunny became the third artist ever to have their first three singles reach number one, after Gerry & The Pacemakers and Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
The second was the italo house sound of Black Box, whose "Ride On Time" was the biggest-selling single of the year, and, at six weeks, spent the longest time at number one. Though the song heavily sampled Loleatta Holloway's "Love Sensation" from 1980, the music video featured a different singer miming to Holloway's vocals. This prompted legal action, so later pressings of the single featured a different singer – the then little-known Heather Small, who later went on to massive fame as the lead single of M People in the 1990s. The same production team behind Black Box also reached No.9 under the group name Starlight with the hit single "Numero Uno". The italio house sound continued with Top 10s from Mixmaster "Grand Piano" and FPI Project went to No.9 with their version of "Going Back to My Roots/Rich in Paradise".
Along with italo, the House music genre was still going strong in 1989. Inner City released numerous house hits during the year which all entered the Top 40, the biggest being "Good Life", which reached No.4 in January. Coldcut introduced Lisa Stansfield with her debut single "People Hold On", which reached No.11 in May and stayed in the Top 75 for 9 weeks. This was followed by her first solo hit, "This Is The Right Time" which hit No.13, but in October, she made it all the way to the top with "All Around The World" which stayed at No.1 for two weeks.
The Rebel MC created a second wave house craze in October 1989 with his No.2 hit "Street Tuff", and from Belgium, genre-defining Technotronic stormed to No.2 in November with their huge debut hit "Pump Up The Jam". Like Black Box, there was minor controversy over who was the actual singer of the track. The label officially credited French model Felly as the vocalist, however, it was in fact American rapper Ya Kid K providing all the vocals. A third scandal involving credited vocalists also continued this year with the duo Milli Vanilli who hit the headlines when it was revealed that neither of them had performed vocals on any of their debut singles, including this year's No.2 smash from November, "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You".
The teen-sensations of 1988, Bros, lost momentum and a band member this year, so a new boyband took their title and from the United States came New Kids on the Block and they soon became the latest pop sensations in Britain. Their debut single "Hangin' Tough" initially stalled early in the summer, but it was the follow-up "You Got It " that went straight in at No. 1 in the Autumn. It would stay there for three weeks, paving the way for a re-release of "Hangin' Tough" in January 1990, and the multi-platinum success of their debut album of the same name.
The year's Christmas number 1 single, and, indeed, the final number 1 of the 1980s, went to a new version of 1984's Christmas number 1 "Do They Know It's Christmas?". Produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, Band Aid II, like the original Band Aid, featured numerous famous music stars of the day, including both Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, giving them the credit as appearing on both the first and last number one singles of the year. Donovan would also achieve the honour of the biggest selling album of the year with his "Ten Good Reasons" album going multi-platinum before the end of the year.
One of the highlights of the Proms was the première of John Tavener's The Protecting Veil, performed by Steven Isserlis and the London Symphony Orchestra. Two new works by John McCabe were also premièred during the year: Sam Variations for violin, viola, cello, doublebass and piano, commissioned and performed by the Schubert Ensemble of London, and String Quartet No 5, performed by the Gabrieli Quartet at the Fishguard Festival. A choral work by McCabe's, Proud Songsters, was written to celebrate the 70th birthday of Stephen Wilkinson.
Events
- 8 January – Compilation albums are moved from the UK Albums Chart into the new UK Compilation Chart.
- 14 January – Paul McCartney releases Снова в СССР exclusively in the USSR.
- 9 April – The Rolling Stones' Bill Wyman announces that he will marry 19-year-old Mandy Smith, his girlfriend for six years.
- 23 July – Former Beatle Ringo Starr forms his own band named Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band.
- 17 August – The 6th Brecon Jazz Festival opens, in Brecon, Wales. Guest performers include George Melly.
- November – Soprano Elizabeth Harwood, suffering from terminal cancer, makes her last stage performance, at the Bath Festival.
- date unknown – Peter Maxwell Davies succeeds David Willcocks as the President of the charity, Making Music.
Charts
Number-one singles
| Chart date | Song | Artist |
| 7 January | "Especially for You" | Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan |
| 14 January | "Especially for You" | Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan |
| 21 January | "Especially for You" | Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan |
| 28 January | "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" | Marc Almond with Gene Pitney |
| 4 February | "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" | Marc Almond with Gene Pitney |
| 11 February | "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" | Marc Almond with Gene Pitney |
| 18 February | "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" | Marc Almond with Gene Pitney |
| 25 February | "Belfast Child" | Simple Minds |
| 4 March | "Belfast Child" | Simple Minds |
| 11 March | "Too Many Broken Hearts" | Jason Donovan |
| 18 March | "Too Many Broken Hearts" | Jason Donovan |
| 25 March | "Like a Prayer" | Madonna |
| 1 April | "Like a Prayer" | Madonna |
| 8 April | "Like a Prayer" | Madonna |
| 15 April | "Eternal Flame" | The Bangles |
| 22 April | "Eternal Flame" | The Bangles |
| 29 April | "Eternal Flame" | The Bangles |
| 6 May | "Eternal Flame" | The Bangles |
| 13 May | "Hand on Your Heart" | Kylie Minogue |
| 20 May | "Ferry 'Cross the Mersey" | The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden and Stock Aitken Waterman |
| 27 May | "Ferry 'Cross the Mersey" | The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden and Stock Aitken Waterman |
| 3 June | "Ferry 'Cross the Mersey" | The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden and Stock Aitken Waterman |
| 10 June | "Sealed With a Kiss" | Jason Donovan |
| 17 June | "Sealed With a Kiss" | Jason Donovan |
| 24 June | "Back to Life " | Soul II Soul featuring Caron Wheeler |
| 1 July | "Back to Life " | Soul II Soul featuring Caron Wheeler |
| 8 July | "Back to Life " | Soul II Soul featuring Caron Wheeler |
| 15 July | "Back to Life " | Soul II Soul featuring Caron Wheeler |
| 22 July | "You'll Never Stop Me Loving You" | Sonia |
| 29 July | "You'll Never Stop Me Loving You" | Sonia |
| 5 August | "Swing the Mood" | Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers |
| 12 August | "Swing the Mood" | Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers |
| 19 August | "Swing the Mood" | Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers |
| 26 August | "Swing the Mood" | Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers |
| 2 September | "Swing the Mood" | Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers |
| 9 September | "Ride On Time" | Black Box |
| 16 September | "Ride On Time" | Black Box |
| 23 September | "Ride On Time" | Black Box |
| 30 September | "Ride On Time" | Black Box |
| 7 October | "Ride On Time" | Black Box |
| 14 October | "Ride On Time" | Black Box |
| 21 October | "That's What I Like" | Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers |
| 28 October | "That's What I Like" | Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers |
| 4 November | "That's What I Like" | Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers |
| 11 November | "All Around the World" | Lisa Stansfield |
| 18 November | "All Around the World" | Lisa Stansfield |
| 25 November | "You Got It " | New Kids on the Block |
| 2 December | "You Got It " | New Kids on the Block |
| 9 December | "You Got It " | New Kids on the Block |
| 16 December | "Let's Party" | Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers |
| 23 December | "Do They Know It's Christmas?" | Band Aid II |
| 30 December | "Do They Know It's Christmas?" | Band Aid II |
Number-one albums
Number-one compilation albums
Year-end charts
Best-selling singles
| Title | Artist | Peak position | Estimated sales | |
| 1 | "Ride On Time" | Black Box | 1 | 850,000 |
| 2 | "Swing the Mood" | Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers | 1 | 820,000 |
| 3 | "Eternal Flame" | 1 | 500,000 | |
| 4 | "Too Many Broken Hearts" | 1 | ||
| 5 | "Back to Life " | Soul II Soul featuring Caron Wheeler | 1 | |
| 6 | "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" | featuring Gene Pitney | 1 | |
| 7 | "That's What I Like" | Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers | 1 | |
| 8 | "Pump Up the Jam" | Technotronic featuring Felly | 2 | |
| 9 | "Do They Know It's Christmas?" | Band Aid II | 1 | 450,000 |
| 10 | "Hand on Your Heart" | 1 | ||
| 11 | "Like a Prayer" | Madonna | 1 | |
| 12 | "All Around the World" | 1 | ||
| 13 | "If Only I Could" | 3 | ||
| 14 | "Love Changes Everything" | 2 | ||
| 15 | "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" | Milli Vanilli | 2 | |
| 16 | "You'll Never Stop Me Loving You" | Sonia | 1 | |
| 17 | "You Got It " | New Kids on the Block | 1 | |
| 18 | "The Living Years" | Mike + the Mechanics | 2 | |
| 19 | "Ferry 'Cross the Mersey" | , Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden and Stock, Aitken & Waterman | 1 | |
| 20 | "Miss You Like Crazy" | 2 | ||
| 21 | "Wouldn't Change a Thing" | 2 | ||
| 22 | "This Time I Know It's for Real" | 3 | ||
| 23 | "Don't Know Much" | featuring Aaron Neville | 2 | |
| 24 | "Let's Party" | Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers | 1 | |
| 25 | "Street Tuff" | Rebel MC and Double Trouble | 3 | |
| 26 | "Belfast Child" | Simple Minds | 1 | |
| 27 | "Requiem" | London Boys | 4 | |
| 28 | "French Kiss" | Lil Louis | 2 | |
| 29 | "Sealed with a Kiss" | 1 | ||
| 30 | "Right Here Waiting" | 2 | ||
| 31 | "Straight Up" | 3 | ||
| 32 | "Especially for You" | and Jason Donovan | 1 | |
| 33 | "You Got It" | 3 | ||
| 34 | "Lambada" | Kaoma | 4 | |
| 35 | "Help!" | Bananarama/Lananeeneenoonoo | 3 | |
| 36 | "Stop!" | 4 | ||
| 37 | "When You Come Back to Me" | 2 | ||
| 38 | "If You Don't Know Me by Now" | Simply Red | 2 | |
| 39 | "London Nights" | London Boys | 2 | |
| 40 | "Poison" | 2 | ||
| 41 | "The Best" | 5 | ||
| 42 | "Love Train" | 4 | ||
| 43 | "If I Could Turn Back Time" | Cher | 6 | |
| 44 | "Leave Me Alone" | 2 | ||
| 45 | "Room in Your Heart" | Living in a Box | 5 | |
| 46 | "Another Day in Paradise" | 2 | ||
| 47 | "Song for Whoever" | 2 | ||
| 48 | "Get a Life" | Soul II Soul | 3 | |
| 49 | "Baby I Don't Care" | Transvision Vamp | 3 | |
| 50 | "Leave a Light On" | 4 |
Best-selling albums
| Title | Artist | Peak position | Estimated sales | |
| 1 | Ten Good Reasons | 1 | 1,500,000 | |
| 2 | A New Flame | Simply Red | 1 | 1,400,000 |
| 3 | ...But Seriously | 1 | 1,200,000 | |
| 4 | Anything for You | and Miami Sound Machine | 1 | 1,050,000 |
| 5 | Cuts Both Ways | 1 | 900,000 | |
| 6 | Enjoy Yourself | 1 | 800,000 | |
| 7 | The Raw and the Cooked | Fine Young Cannibals | 1 | |
| 8 | Foreign Affair | 1 | ||
| 9 | Like a Prayer | Madonna | 1 | |
| 10 | Club Classics Vol. One | Soul II Soul | 1 | 750,000 |
| 11 | Don't Be Cruel | 3 | ||
| 12 | The Road to Hell | 1 | ||
| 13 | When the World Knows Your Name | Deacon Blue | 1 | |
| 14 | ' | Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers | 2 | |
| 15 | Appetite for Destruction | Guns N' Roses | 5 | 600,000 |
| 16 | Street Fighting Years | Simple Minds | 1 | |
| 17 | The Miracle | Queen | 1 | |
| 18 | Wild! | Erasure | 1 | |
| 19 | The Twelve Commandments of Dance | London Boys | 2 | |
| 20 | We Too Are One | Eurythmics | 1 | |
| 21 | The Seeds of Love | Tears for Fears | 1 | |
| 22 | Raw Like Sushi | 2 | ||
| 23 | Affection | 2 | ||
| 24 | Watermark | Enya | 5 | |
| 25 | Velveteen | Transvision Vamp | 1 | |
| 26 | The Legendary Roy Orbison | 1 | ||
| 27 | ' | 4 | ||
| 28 | Ancient Heart | 3 | ||
| 29 | Holding Back the River | Wet Wet Wet | 2 | |
| 30 | Batman | Prince | 1 | |
| 31 | Pastpresent | Clannad | 5 | |
| 32 | Kylie | 2 | 360,000 | |
| 33 | The Best of Rod Stewart | 3 | ||
| 34 | Bad | 4 | ||
| 35 | Kick | INXS | 9 | |
| 36 | The Innocents | Erasure | 1 | |
| 37 | Paradise | Inner City | 3 | |
| 38 | Stronger | 7 | ||
| 39 | The Sensual World | 1 | ||
| 40 | 2 X 2 | Milli Vanilli | 6 | |
| 41 | Everything | 5 | ||
| 42 | Level Best | Level 42 | 5 | |
| 43 | Mystery Girl | 2 | ||
| 44 | Crossroads | 1 | ||
| 45 | Remote/Bitter Suite | Hue & Cry | 10 | |
| 46 | Runaway Horses | 4 | ||
| 47 | Greatest Hits | 4 | ||
| 48 | Welcome to the Beautiful South | 2 | ||
| 49 | Blast | 1 | ||
| 50 | Aspects of Love | Original Cast Recording | 1 |
Notes:
Classical music
- Malcolm Arnold - Four Welsh Dances, Op. 138
- Harrison Birtwistle - Salford Toccata
- John McCabe - String Quartet No. 5
- Nicholas Maw - Music of Memory
- Mark-Anthony Turnage - Some Days
Film and incidental music
- Christopher Gunning - When the Whales Came
- Michael Nyman - The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover directed by Peter Greenaway.
Births
- 4 January - Labrinth, singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer
- 28 January - Carly Paoli, mezzo-soprano
- 24 January - Calvin Goldspink, singer and actor
- 17 February - Stacey McClean, singer and actress
- 27 February - Sam Sweeney, folk musician
- 8 April
- *Alex Day, singer-songwriter and guitarist
- *Matthew Healy, singer-songwriter
- 23 June - Lauren Bennett, singer and dancer
- 28 June - Lucy Rose, singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 29 June - Rebecca Jane, singer
- 12 October - Aggro Santos, Brazilian-English rapper
- 20 October - Jess Glynne, pop singer-songwriter
- 30 November - Daisy Evans
Deaths
- 11 January - Ray Moore, DJ, 47
- 19 March - Alan Civil, horn player, 59
- 1 August - John Ogdon, pianist, 52
- 19 October – Alan Murphy, guitarist, member of Level 42 and Go West, 35
- 22 October – Ewan MacColl, folk singer, 74
- 1 December – Billy Lyall, keyboardist of Pilot and Bay City Rollers, 46
- 21 December - Elsie Griffin, operatic soprano, 94
- 26 December - Sir Lennox Berkeley, composer, 86
Music awards
BRIT Awards
The 1989 BRIT Awards winners were:- Best classical recording: George Frideric Handel’s – "The Messiah"
- Best Music Video: Michael Jackson – "Smooth Criminal"
- Best soundtrack: "Buster"
- British album: Fairground Attraction – "The First of a Million Kisses"
- British breakthrough act: Bros
- British female solo artist: Annie Lennox
- British group: Erasure
- British male solo artist: Phil Collins
- British single: Fairground Attraction – "Perfect"
- International breakthrough act: Tracy Chapman
- International female: Tracy Chapman
- International group: U2
- International male: Michael Jackson
- Outstanding contribution: Cliff Richard